Eze? Vence? Nice? Help me pick just one!!!

[YoPhilly]

We have a call at Villefranche on a Friday from 10-8, and this will be our first visit to the South of France. We are the kind of travelers who like to experience a new port in a relaxed pace - wander the streets and back alleys, sit at a cafe, talk to the locals and people-watch - that kind of thing. We don't want to run around and try to see everything, and we are not shoppers.

 

For those of you who have traveled extensively through this area, which town (or two if highly recommended) would you suggest we visit?

 

I keep reading on these boards about Eze. Everyone wants to go to Eze. When I look at it on Google Earth, it is a tiny, tiny village and I'm wondering what everyone does there for a daytrip. Is the attraction just the view of the sea?

 

I also read a handful of posts with high praise for St. Paul de Vence, and it looks like it offers more to keep us occupied all day.

 

And of course, there's Nice, which I'm not sure about.

 

I appreciate all of your advice, tips and suggestions.

[cberge]

I would do St.Paul de Vence and then old town Nice and area.Would make a nice day in IMHO.You can do both in your style of travel.

[sunsetbeachgal]

You didn't mention Monte Carlo, which is close by. Our our stop in Nice, we did both Eze and Monte Carlo. Eze is a spectacular setting perched upon a cliff, but when I say it is tiny, I mean tiny :D. You can do both this and Monte Carlo with the time you have allotted. We enjoyed the drive too-great scenery.

 

We wish we would have had time to walk around Nice and do as you have suggested-go to a cafe', etc. I think there is also a big market, maybe a flower market-it looked lovely, very walkable and on a next trip that is what we will do. It has been a number of years since I have been to St. Paul de Vence, and don't remember how long a trip it was to get there.

[Hlitner]

We would first point out to the OP that Vence and St Paul de Vence are two different villages (not too far apart) and the place that many love (including moi) is St Paul de Vence. However, the negative about St Paul de Vence is its location which is not as convenient as Nice, Eze, Monte Carlo, or Antibes. As to your observation about Eze, we do also think it has gotten to much positive hype on this board. Eze is a wonderful small walled village in a fantastic location (between MC and Nice). It has some very nice shops and art galleries, a few cute cafes, and a world class restaurant. But in the final analysis it is a relatively small village (much of it is even closed during the winter non-tourist season). St Paul de Vence is a much larger (but still small enough to be very charming) walled village with many more galleries (some of them are very high-end) shops, boutiques and places to eat. It is also relatively close to the Maeght Foundation which is a "do not miss place" for fans of contemporary art. As to Nice, we always like to tease that Nice is nice and it truly is nice. It is a large city with lots to offer including its charming old town, famous Promanade, excellent restaurants and cafes, some decent small museums. Nice and Monte Carlo are certainly the two easiest places to access for cruise ship passengers since they are both on the regional rail line and are also served by several bus lines....all of which connect to the port at Villefranche (as well as in Monte Carlo). If you want to go to St Paul de Vence on your own, the most economical way is to go to the Nice Gare Routiere bus station and simply take the regional bus (think its the #400). The easiest way to get to the Gare Routiere bus station from Villefranche is to take the bus to Nice (it goes to the bus station). We would also suggest that anyone planning to go to Nice consider getting there as early as possible so you can enjoy the Flower Market (assuming its open on the day of your visit). If you simply Google "Nice Flower Market" you will find all the info you need. There are also lots of decent cafes and restaurants very close to the Flower Market if you happen to be hungry.

 

Hank

[TLCOhio]

Hank, as always, provides an excellent summary of some options and important factors to consider. The double great news would be that you have many great options and potential places to reach, see and enjoy in this wonderful region. This is not a boring, one-trick pony place. AND, you are planning to be there in late September or early October, meaning that traffic is less of a challenge compared to the busy peak summer tourism season. Win! Win!!

 

Why Eze? Here are my notes below and a couple of visuals Much of it is about the great and unique views.

 

The old village of Eze, along the coast between Nice and Monaco, hangs up in the mountains above the water and crowds. It's wonderful to visit. Great, great views! Totally charming! Have lunch or dinner there at one of the two great eating places and feel like you're sitting on the edge of paradise! We ate at the Château Eza. Its website: http://www.chateauezarestaurant.com. At 1,407 feet above the Mediterranean, Eze offers commanding views of cliffs, sea, sprawling estates and off-shore islands. The village's narrow streets or more really paths among the buildings lead to the Jardin Exotique It is a maze of paths flanked by mammoth flowering plants and spiky cactuses. For about $3, you can walk up to the best view on the French Riviera. On a clear day, you can see Corsica! It does not get much better than Eze. Their tourism office:

http://www.eze-riviera.com

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 29,950 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

The charming mountain top village of Eze is nearby and offers great view along the coast:

 

 

 

This picture shows more of the gardens at the top of Eze that offers great views along the coast:

 

[YoPhilly]

Thanks for the great info and suggestions. That's the one thing about cruising --- just one short day to explore!

 

The photos from Eze are certainly enticing and I think I have to do a lot more investigation before I can decide. I've read many CC posts on transportation to Eze village so I have a good idea of how to do that.

 

St Paul de Vence sounds like a perfect fit for us, but Hank said the location is somewhat inconvenient. Looking at a map, I'm guessing you mean it's farther from Villefranche than Eze or even Monte Carlo. If we use the public bus #400, do you know how much time we should allow for transit? An hour? More? Is it too far to take a cab? Should/could we spend the whole day there or allow some time in the late afternoon and evening for dinner in the old part of Nice?

 

Thanks again!

Nancy

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for the great info and suggestions. That's the one thing about cruising --- just one short day to explore! The photos from Eze are certainly enticing and I think I have to do a lot more investigation before I can decide. I've read many CC posts on transportation to Eze village so I have a good idea of how to do that. St Paul de Vence sounds like a perfect fit for us, but Hank said the location is somewhat inconvenient. Looking at a map, I'm guessing you mean it's farther from Villefranche than Eze or even Monte Carlo. If we use the public bus #400, do you know how much time we should allow for transit? An hour? More? Is it too far to take a cab? Should/could we spend the whole day there or allow some time in the late afternoon and evening for dinner in the old part of Nice? Thanks again!

Nancy

 

Keep reading, thinking and planning. You've got time, Nancy. None of these options are bad or boring choices. That helps. Just match what best fits your personal needs and interests. Public transportation is possible, but it is not always time-efficient if you want to see and do more than average. A cab could be done. What's your budget flexibility? Any thought of doing a rental car? Maybe shared with another couple?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 29,950 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Hlitner]

Thanks for the great info and suggestions. That's the one thing about cruising --- just one short day to explore!

 

The photos from Eze are certainly enticing and I think I have to do a lot more investigation before I can decide. I've read many CC posts on transportation to Eze village so I have a good idea of how to do that.

 

St Paul de Vence sounds like a perfect fit for us, but Hank said the location is somewhat inconvenient. Looking at a map, I'm guessing you mean it's farther from Villefranche than Eze or even Monte Carlo. If we use the public bus #400, do you know how much time we should allow for transit? An hour? More? Is it too far to take a cab? Should/could we spend the whole day there or allow some time in the late afternoon and evening for dinner in the old part of Nice? We would suggest going to St Paul early in the day and than you can make the decision on when its best to leave. It would be easy to leave there a little early and spend some time in Nice before returning to your ship.

 

Thanks again!

Nancy

 

The #400 bus takes approximately 1 hour each way from Nice. You should be able to download a PDF file if you go to :

http://www.lignesdazur.com/horaires_ligne/?rub_code=6&lign_id=1099

 

and click on the download PDF file. Its not to far for a taxi, but you might need to mortgage your first born to pay for a taxi (assuming you can even find a taxi) since French taxis in the south of France are very expensive. When we want to go to St Paul de Vence we normally just rent a car for the day which allows us to go to that place plus several other places without waiting around for public transit. Many others on CC prefer to hire a private guide/driver which is very expensive but is a great option for those Ok with spending the big bucks. As to eating in Nice, we simply love to dine in that city and have stayed there so that we can easily use some of their restaurants. They do exist in all price ranges from the high priced haute cuisine at Chanteclar (Negresco Hotel) to the normal price cafes in old Nice. I am personally addicted to the fish soup that they serve in Nice so we always head to the old town so I can fulfill my food fantasy at one of the outdoor cafes.

 

Hank

[YoPhilly]

Terry and Hank, you're right about public transit - so little time in port and so much time waiting or traveling by bus. I think I WILL look into renting a car...maybe another couple will want to join us.

 

Re: budget - we're on vacation and not particularly counting pennies, but we don't want to spend beaucoup ;) bucks just on transportation.

 

From my Google map, it looks like St. Paul de Vence is about a 40-45 minute drive from Villefranche, and I assume one has to park outside the village and walk in. What about Nice - how is the parking in the old part?

 

We're planning to come back to this area for a land-based trip at some point, so I want to have an easy, relaxed day in port. We're leaning toward SPDV for a few hours, then head back to the old part of Nice for some exploration and dinner before heading back to Villefranche. Is this a good plan?

 

Thanks again!

Nancy

[YoPhilly]

Sacre bleu!!! You weren't exaggerating! I just checked car rental rates at AutoEurope - almost 200USD for one day!!!! And that's with a pick-up/drop-off in Nice. Looks like I have a lot of research ahead of me!!

 

I can't locate any car rentals right in Villefranche-sur-mer. Do you know of any?

[Hlitner]

Terry and Hank, you're right about public transit - so little time in port and so much time waiting or traveling by bus. I think I WILL look into renting a car...maybe another couple will want to join us.

 

Re: budget - we're on vacation and not particularly counting pennies, but we don't want to spend beaucoup ;) bucks just on transportation.

 

From my Google map, it looks like St. Paul de Vence is about a 40-45 minute drive from Villefranche, and I assume one has to park outside the village and walk in. What about Nice - how is the parking in the old part?

 

We're planning to come back to this area for a land-based trip at some point, so I want to have an easy, relaxed day in port. We're leaning toward SPDV for a few hours, then head back to the old part of Nice for some exploration and dinner before heading back to Villefranche. Is this a good plan?

 

 

Thanks again!

Nancy

 

Regarding the parking issue, if you drive to St Paul de Vence you have two options. There is free parking along the road outside the walls, but this can be very crowded during the season so its often difficult to find a free spot unless you go a long way from the city gates. There is also a really nice large indoor pay garage just past the city entrance (on your right) where we usually park (its well marked with the usual "P"). The prices were reasonable and by the hour. As to Nice, you would not want to drive inside the old town since the streets are narrow and parking very difficult. We normally find on the street parking outside the old town area within an easy walk. They also have metered on the street parking (very common) where the meters are located about one per block. The normal European method is to first park your car, then walk to the meter and buy your parking ticket, then put that ticket (it is stamped with the expiration time) on the top of your dashboard. Its always smart to have some coins to pay for the meters (1 Euro coins become valuable when you need them).

 

We think your plan is fine (we often do a similar kind of day). Another option is to drive to Antibes after St Paul de Vence if you want to see that resort town. We normally make that kind of decision at the time depending how long we stay in SPDV. Also remember that with a car you can easily drive over to the Maeght Foundation if you are interested in that type of contemporary art. The last time we went to that place they had a huge Miro mural which was simply a very large white canvas with a single pencil line scibbled across the canvas. It looked like stuff our daughter did when she was 3 years old...but her version was not worth millions.

 

Hank

[hubofhockey]

Sacre bleu!!! You weren't exaggerating! I just checked car rental rates at AutoEurope - almost 200USD for one day!!!! And that's with a pick-up/drop-off in Nice. Looks like I have a lot of research ahead of me!!

 

I can't locate any car rentals right in Villefranche-sur-mer. Do you know of any?

 

I wonder if you have enough time to do your plan justice, even with a car rental. 10-8 is not a long day, at least not as long as you will get in most ports, especially, if your car rental pick up and drop off are in Nice and your ship is docked in Villefranche. You will have to get to and from Nice and the ship without a car and spend time at the rental office, gas station, and parking.

 

With a 10-8 timeframe, you could have a great day in Nice and even get a decent early dinner. We had an abbreviated day there last summer as we had one of those 7-2 port days. We walked along the Promenade des Anglais, spent some time at Cours Saleya, and then went to the Chagall Museum. I would have liked more time there. This summer, we have a 9-8 day from Monaco and will see the Cousteau Aquarium in Monaco and then take the bus to Nice. We thought about Eze. But I think our young teen and tween kids might not be up for Eze and find Nice more to their liking.

[Hlitner]

Reading the previous post made a thought come to mind (I still get a few thoughts :)). There is at least one auto rental company that delivers cars to the tender pier in Villefranche (or at least they used to do this on any day but Sunday). Their name is Locauto and you can find their web site at:

http://www.locauto.fr/agencies/car-hire/alpes-maritimes/villefranche-sur-mer_uk.htm

 

Getting a car in Villefranche (if that is your port) does save a lot of valuable time vs. having to go into Nice or to the Nice Cote d'Azur airport.

 

Hank

[YoPhilly]

Hank, thanks for digging up that website. I'll look into their rates.

 

I've been reading your responses and looking at websites and maps throughout the day and I have to admit that I'm trying to over-plan a short port day. Assuming we tender to dry land around 10:30 and want to be back to the tenders by 7:00, that gives us just about 8-1/2 hours to do some exploring, some eating, and some time for transportation. That's pretty limiting.

 

I'm going to suggest to my husband that we just spend a leisurely day in old town Nice. I'm sure it will be a wonderful day with plenty to see and do, and we'll even have some time to walk along the beach, maybe dip our toes into the Med.

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I'll have to save them for our next visit. :p

[Hlitner]

YoPhilly, Always good to hear from a other cruisers in PA. We agree with your philosophy of spending your short port day in Nice. We have often posted here about the tendency of many of our fellow Americans to have caught the "If its Tuesday it Must be Belgium" syndrome (if you have not seen the movie its a fun rental) where they want to see everything in a few hours and actually see very little. If your ship starts tendering about 10, most of the passengers will be lucky if they are on land by 11. Your last tender will probably be about 6:30 which really does not leave you lots of time. Going to Nice and having a nice lunch and enjoying the city sounds like a great plan. If I have a decent bowl of fish soup in Nice, it is like going to heaven and nothing else is necessary. Now mind you my love of that regional soup is a personal thing (DW does not even like the stuff) but when it comes to France we often think of each part of the country in terms of food and wine. And in Nice it's that fish soup!

 

Hank

P.S. You will not find a decent cheesesteak sandwich anywhere in France so fill-up before you leave home

[kiwixmas]

hi

i have read all these posts and thinking hmm i would like to go nice + maybe eze for the views

but tendering into monte carlo at noon and ship leaves at 10pm will i have enough time ? this is on 20th april 2011

never been to the med

am i better to stick to monte carlo

this is our 2nd port of 24days in the med and 17 ports

dont wont to burn out in the first couple of days!!!!

looking forward to some comments from seasoned cruisers!!!

[Hlitner]

hi

i have read all these posts and thinking hmm i would like to go nice + maybe eze for the views

but tendering into monte carlo at noon and ship leaves at 10pm will i have enough time ? this is on 20th april 2011

never been to the med

am i better to stick to monte carlo

this is our 2nd port of 24days in the med and 17 ports

dont wont to burn out in the first couple of days!!!!

looking forward to some comments from seasoned cruisers!!!

 

A bummer that you will tender (this does take time) since many ships do dock at Monte Carlo. Given the time constraints Nice, Eze and MC are all possibilities. You would be too late to see the changing of the guard up at the palace (some folks like this). You might want to consider just going to Eze for a couple of hours and spending the rest of your time in MC. The big problem with going to Eze is that the bus does not run very often (sometimes only once every 2 hours) which creates problems for cruise ship passengers. Taxis are also not very cheap in the south of France. For us, we generally like to rent a car for the day so we can do our own thing without wasting time waiting for public transit. Given your port day this is not a great option so you might just want to be flexible and do what feels right at the time. For example, if you can get 4 you might want to find a taxi and see how much they would charge to take you to Eze (perhaps round trip). Otherwise, you can always jump on the regional bus or train and go to Nice for a few hours (no reservations for either of these options). If you find you are enjoying MC then perhaps you might just want to stay there for the day. My point is that as long as your are not booking an excursion, there is no reason to overplan your day....just do what feels right at the time.

 

Hank

[YoPhilly]

YoPhilly, Always good to hear from a other cruisers in PA. We agree with your philosophy of spending your short port day in Nice. We have often posted here about the tendency of many of our fellow Americans to have caught the "If its Tuesday it Must be Belgium" syndrome

 

Actually, my first trip to Europe was just like that - I was 19 years old (a long, long time ago) and we saw something like 9 cities in 12 or 13 days!! It was so grueling that I actually stayed on the bus and slept in Florence!! :eek: (Yeah, yeah - I was 19 - what did I know??!!) ;)

 

P.S. You will not find a decent cheesesteak sandwich anywhere in France so fill-up before you leave home

 

Not a chance, Hank! I'm banking extra calories for that bouillabaisse!

Nancy

P.S. I've passed through New Cumberland at least a hundred or more times! If we ever end up on a Roll Call together, we'll have to meet.

[kiwixmas]

A bummer that you will tender (this does take time) since many ships do dock at Monte Carlo. Given the time constraints Nice, Eze and MC are all possibilities. You would be too late to see the changing of the guard up at the palace (some folks like this). You might want to consider just going to Eze for a couple of hours and spending the rest of your time in MC. The big problem with going to Eze is that the bus does not run very often (sometimes only once every 2 hours) which creates problems for cruise ship passengers. Taxis are also not very cheap in the south of France. For us, we generally like to rent a car for the day so we can do our own thing without wasting time waiting for public transit. Given your port day this is not a great option so you might just want to be flexible and do what feels right at the time. For example, if you can get 4 you might want to find a taxi and see how much they would charge to take you to Eze (perhaps round trip). Otherwise, you can always jump on the regional bus or train and go to Nice for a few hours (no reservations for either of these options). If you find you are enjoying MC then perhaps you might just want to stay there for the day. My point is that as long as your are not booking an excursion, there is no reason to overplan your day....just do what feels right at the time.

 

Hank

thanks for your thoughs yes i think we might just take the day as it comes

because this our first and probably only trip to med??? i think im trying to take on to much

32 hr flight 2 days before

thanks again peter

[Hlitner]

thanks for your thoughs yes i think we might just take the day as it comes

because this our first and probably only trip to med??? i think im trying to take on to much

32 hr flight 2 days before

thanks again peter

 

You would not be the first (or the last) to run yourself ragged in the Med. It's a wonderful place and a majority of folks do not get to that part of the world every day. It is interesting to walk around a ship at about 11 pm on many Med cruisers and find just about everyone is already in bed :). When you book excursions or private tours you have a good idea of the kind of day you will have and can plan accordingly (i.e. get a good nights sleep). But, if you decide to go off and do your own thing (our normal mode of travel) you have to remind yourself that you are in control. When we are in new places (and some old ones) we like to do a lot of pre-trip research and know all of our options..as to sites, public transit, etc. But we do not like to get locked-into a specific itinerary since, for us, its more fun to take things as they come. The weather can also have an impact on our plans. A few years ago we were in Rome for a few days and sat down for a cappuccino at the Piazza Navona. We had all kinds of plans for that day, but that setting was so perfect, and the people watching so much fun, we ended-up spending nearly 5 hours at that cafe (lots of cappuccino and a nice lunch). It was probably one of the best days we have ever had in Rome and it was totally unplanned. A few years later we stopped at the same cafe planning to repeat that experience only to find that they had increased their prices to a point where we did not even sit down! That is the fun of being independent....

 

Hank